Laity rejects new bid to legalize divorce

February 6, 2020

The Sangguniang Laiko ng Pilipinas (Laiko) Thursday opposed a bid in Congress to legalize divorce, saying the country should remain as the only state in the world, aside from the Vatican, where it is outlawed. 

In a statement titled "Marriage and Family is a Gift!", Laiko said it does not agree wiith lawmakers saying it is already time for the Philippines to allow divorce. 

On Wednesday, the House Committee Family Relations approved the Marriage Dissolution Bill sponsored by Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman, Lagman said this consolidates three divorce bills. The bill was shelved in April 2018 and refiled on July 2019.

"The Sangguniang Laiko ng Pilipinas is strongly against the introduction of the Divorce Law as an easier way for the dissolution of marriage in the Philippines," said Laiko President Rouquel Ponte. 

"It is our hope, therefore, that the Philippines shall forever stand as a beacon of hope for the family and society," he added. 

Ponte said the Catholic Church says divorce is immoral because it introduces disorder into family and society. 

"This disorder brings grave harm to the deserted spouse, to children traumatized by the separation of their parents and often torn between them, and because of its contagious effect, which makes it truly a plague on society," he said

An official of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) expressed surprise over the hasty passage of the bill. 

According to CBCP Public Affairs Committee Executive Secretary Fr Jerome Secillano, the bill lacked exhaustive deliberations and discussions on the proposed measure. 

"The public deserves to know what is in the bill. Perhaps a public forum or media discussion should be done to give the people thorough understanding of its impact in the family and society," said Secillano. DMS